Cheney prepared for resignation over heart disease

Former Vice President Dick Cheney talks about his 35-year battle with heart disease at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda on Tuesday night. Cheney was in town to promote his book Heart. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

YORBA LINDA – Former Vice President Dick Cheney told a 650-strong audience at the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum that he signed a letter in March 2001 to resign from office if he suffered a debilitating heart attack or other medical emergency.

After having what he described as a very minor heart attack three weeks after the 2000 presidential election, Cheney told his legal counsel David Addington to investigate all precedents for ensuring there was someone fit to replace him. Addington kept Cheney's signed resignation letter in a safe at his house in preparation for that scenario, Cheney said.

“I told him to hang onto it, but if the need ever arose, he was to take it to the president,” Cheney said.

This is among the many revelations on Cheney’s 35-year battle with heart disease in his new book, “Heart: An American Medical Odyssey.”

In a discussion Tuesday night with Frank Gannon, a former Nixon White House staffer, Cheney gave intimate details of his five heart attacks. He had his first at age 37 during his initial run in Wyoming for Congress. Cheney said he immediately kicked his 20-year smoking habit.

The former veep spoke with great humility about receiving a heart transplant in 2012, which has cured his disease.

“The heart transplant has been nothing short of miraculous,” he said. “I’m obviously very grateful for the donor.”

Cheney got laughs from the audience with jokes about conversations with his doctors throughout the years. He also took questions from those in the room and some that had been submitted online.

David Lasley, 27, a soldier from Yorba Linda, was grateful to ask Cheney about his thoughts on resigning over his health conditions, prompting Cheney’s discussion about the letter.

“It was an incredible honor,” he said of getting the chance to talk with Cheney. “It’s an honor I’m going to tell my kids about.”

Lasley admired Cheney’s honesty in disclosing something as personal as his heart condition in an open letter to voters during his first campaign for Congress.

Bonnie Kroll, 62, an author from Long Beach, said she was disappointed that nobody asked Cheney about the White House’s current strategy in the Middle East, which she believes is too weak. As a spiritual person, Kroll identified with Cheney’s peace with death.

“He does have a good attitude about life and the potential termination of physical life,” she said.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney talks about his 35-year battle with heart disease at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda on Tuesday night. Cheney was in town to promote his book Heart. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Former Vice President Dick Cheney talks about his 35-year battle with heart disease at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda on Tuesday night. Cheney was in town to promote his book Heart. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Former Vice President Dick Cheney talks about his 35-year battle with heart disease at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda on Tuesday night. Cheney was in town to promote his book Heart. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Former Vice President Dick Cheney talks about his 35-year battle with heart disease at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda on Tuesday night. Cheney was in town to promote his book Heart. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Members of the audience listen to former Vice President Dick Cheney talk about his 35-year battle with heart disease at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda. Cheney was in town to promote his book Heart. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Members of the audience listen to former Vice President Dick Cheney talk about his 35-year battle with heart disease at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda Tuesday night. Cheney was in town to promote his book Heart. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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